Zerona: the new fat-busting beauty treatment

Recently the Fashion Bust team was invited to an event showcasing a new non-invasive inch-loss treatment at the City Point Spa in the City of London. Now, this might seem a long way removed from our focus on lingerie, but we’re also swimwear obsessed – as you may have noticed – and getting beach body-ready is something that concerns most of us during the summer months. So, we thought we’d go along and find out more.

Generally speaking, the only quick fixes we’re fans of are things like exfoliation and fake tan – it’s amazing what smooth skin and a bit of colour can do for your confidence! – but the initial description of the Zerona treatment sounded promising (after we’d got over the use of the word ‘laser’ anyway). You might want to start saving now for next summer, however.

Zerona is a ‘cold laser’ treatment that reduces the size of fat cells in treated areas, which means inch loss. It is designed to be used as part of an overall fitness and lifestyle routine and is unlike liposuction in that it’s non-invasive – liposuction sucks out areas of fat cells – and does not remove the actual fat cells. It’s also more effective than bodywraps and other cosmetic treatments that cause temporary inch loss through the reduction of fluid retention and removal of toxins.

Instead – and this is where it gets a bit icky – the laser stimulates fat cells to liquefy the fat within the cells, which drains out via a temporary ‘pore’ in the cell membrane, where is it eventually absorbed into the lymphatic system. Drinking plenty of fluids and increasing exercise can speed up the elimination of this liquefied fat via the lymphatic system, which is why users are encouraged to use Zerona as one element of their fitness regime.

Another is that, because the fat cells are not actually removed, they can fill up again if you resume your unhealthy habits – and after you’ve spent the money on the treatments, that would be rather annoying.

‘Is it safe?’ was the first question we asked. Because, let’s face it, a fat-liquefying laser sounds a little scary – and painful. But we were assured that it is totally safe and has passed all the necessary tests to be certified for use in this country – and is also completely painless (this was confirmed by the model who was the treatment’s guinea pig for the evening). There’s no burning sensation because it’s a cold laser, no bruising as nothing actually touches your skin, and you can do it in your lunchtime and be back at work immediately afterwards.

The recommended course of treatments is around six over a two-week period – depending on the individual – and you can read your book or have a doze while the lasers (attached to slightly alien looking contraption with four arms) are positioned over your problem areas. One of the benefits of this treatment is that is allows you to target specific areas such as upper thighs and hips. And, according to Zerona, participants in clinical trials using the laser on waist, hips and thighs saw an average of 3.64 inches lost. We’ve not tried it ourselves, though, so we can’t give you a first-hand account.

But, as might be expected given all the above, this is not a cheap treatment option. The City Point’s med spa is currently offering courses of treatment from £999 – which means we’re probably going to have to stick to dry-brushing and self-tans! But if you’re interested in finding out more, visit the City Point Spa website.